Lauren Shuler Donner

A leading Hollywood producer specializing in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainments, Shuler-Donner entered the industry as one of the first women members of the Hollywood Electronic Camer...
Read More...

Actor Channing Tatum has denied reports he has officially signed on to play Gambit in a new X-Men film. The Magic Mike star hit headlines earlier this month (May14) when X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner appeared to reveal the 34 year old was on board to portray Remy LeBeau and his alter-ego on the big screen.
Tatum admits the deal is close, it is not official yet.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I hope to be joining - everything's not done yet. I've obviously been in talks, and we're on the one yard line. I'm always afraid of being like, 'Yes it's totally happening,' and then it doesn't happen. I'm dying to do it."
John Carter star Taylor Kitsch previously portrayed LeBeau/Gambit in X: Men Origins: Wolverine.
If the deal comes together it will be a dream come true for Tatum, who has dreamed of portraying his favourite comic book hero for years.

Actor Channing Tatum has been confirmed to join the X-Men universe as Gambit in a new film. The Magic Mike star has spoken passionately in the past about his desire to play Remy LeBeau on the big screen and now producer Lauren Shuler Donner has revealed the 34 year old is set to take on the role.
She tells TotalFilm.com, "I'll develop it with him," and insists the actor is perfect for the part, adding, "He's a rogue. Channing, he's a rascal, just like Remy LeBeau. And he can handle the action. We all know that. And he's got a really good heart.
"He's a southerner too. He's not from New Orleans, but he is a southerner. He understands that world and, you know, Gambit loves New Orleans."
Tatum actually owns a bar in the city.
John Carter star Taylor Kitsch previously portrayed LeBeau/Gambit in X: Men Origins: Wolverine.

Everett Collection/WENN
The X-Men series may be getting a new taste of New Orleans. At the MTV Movie Awards, Channing Tatum revealed that he's been in talks with X-Men producer Shuler Donner about taking up the role of Gambit in a future X-Men film. Gambit, the Cajun, card-slinging mutant has been a favorite among X-Men fans ever since the character's heyday in the early '90s, which is why it's almost criminal that he hasn't gotten his proper due in at least one of the seven X-Men films released so far. Sure, Gambit was featured in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but Taylor Kitsch is about as Cajun as a ham sandwich, so it's about time the character received a cinematic upgrade.
While talking with MTV, Tatum said: "I met with Lauren Shuler Donner. And I would love it. Gambit is really the only X-Man I’ve ever loved. I mean I’ve loved them all, they’re all great, but I guess from being down south – my dad’s from Louisiana, I’m from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida – I don’t know. I just related to him. He’s just kind of suave." Tatum's description of the character is ringing all the right bells, and we're thinking his rendition of the character would be an obvious upgrade from whatever trench coat wearing imposter was traipsing around in X-Men Origins. Gambit wouldn't be the first time an X-Men characters was recast. 2011's X-Men First-Class and the upcoming X-Men:Days of Future Past focus on younger versions of our favorite characters, but how well do they match up with their older counterparts from the original X-Men movies?
MYSTIQUE
The old version: The original Mystique, as played by Rebecca Romijin, was slinky and deadly accomplice to Magneto. Her sparse dialogue made her seem even more dangerous, but she really wasn't a character so much as a shape-shifting cog in Magneto's human destroying machine.The new version: In First-Class, Mystique was a much more defined character. She had motivations and a backstory that helped give her some much needed dimension. Jennifer Lawrence's depiction might not have the same deadly presence as her counterpart, but she made Mystique an infinitely more interesting person.Final verdict: Upgrade. We really dug Romijn's take on the character, but there simply wasn't much substance rumbling under her blue scaly surface. First Class goes much further in characterizing the mutant, so this is a pretty easy choice to make.
PROFESSOR X
The old version: Patrick Stewart commanded the screen with his fatherly portrayal of Professor X. He was patient, kind, and more than willing to help any wayward mutant that found his or her way to his doorstep. He was basically a surrogate father to every kid watching the X-Men films during the early 2000s.The new version: James McAvoy's Charles Xavier was a young, cocksure playboy that fancied himself as the smartest person in the room, and wanted everyone to know it. He's brilliant, sure, but hasn't yet developed the restraint or the nurturing qualities that one immediately thinks of when thinking about Professor X. Final verdict: Tie. Honestly, both versions of the character are fantastic depictions of the same man at two points in time. While Patrick Stewart's Professor X is certainly a more classic take on the character, James McAvoy gives a younger version of the character impresses for different reasons. We just can't pick a favorite
BEAST
The old version: Kelsey Grammer perfectly nails the duality of the character, convincingly portraying the buttoned-up, Shakespeare-quoting scientific mastermind that is Hank McCoy, while also shedding the business suit and going feral and animalistic when necessary.The new version: Nicholas Hoult plays a much more diminutive beast: unsure, awkward, lacking in self-confidence. In many ways, the Hank McCoy from First Class represents all of the awkward growing pains that are associated with burgeoning adolescence and coming to terms with mutant powers. Unfortunately, First Class drops the ball with the Beast transformation. The blue and hairy version of Beast looks like a Muppet gone horribly wrong.Final verdict: Downgrade. The First Class version was a good origin for the character, but Kelsey Grammer's version is simply definitive. We'd be hard pressed to think of a better casting choice.
MAGNETO
The old version: The old Magneto is simply cool. He's fine-tuned his malice into something way more cunning than abject fury. Gone is the rage and reactionary hate. What's left is a calm, directed, and efficient determination to extinguish humanity. He still burns with revenge, but understands that vengeance is a dish best served cold.The new version: Michael Fassbender's younger version of Magneto is a swell of rageing fury. The character is reckless, volatile, broken, and out for revenge, and Magneto has never been as enjoyable as when he's traveling the world and hunting down Nazis as a young adult. Final verdict: Upgrade. This was definitely the hardest one of the bunch, but we're going with the younger Magneto. As much as it feels like sacrilege to vote against Ian McKellen's original, Fassbender gave the character so much fire and bristle. Plus, we could watch several movies of Erik Lehnsherr: Nazi Hunter.
Follow @Hollywood_com
//
Follow @CurrentlyJordan
//

Channing Tatum is set to join the X-Men universe if movie mogul Lauren Shuler Donner has her way - she wants the Magic Mike hunk to play comic book hero Gambit in a new film. Donner, the producer of upcoming X-Men movie Days of Future Past tells Empire magazine that Tatum is on board for the project.
She says, "I’m dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum. That doesn’t have to be a great big movie. It’s a thief in New Orleans, it’s a whole different story.
"He’s on board, and I have to get the studio on board. How can anyone resist Channing? He’s such a sweetheart."
Channing has previously shown an interest in the role, which was played by Taylor Kitsch in 2009's X-Men: Origins.
Back in 2012, the actor told Total Film magazine, "Gambit’s my favourite (comic book hero), 'cause I’m from New Orleans - or around that area. My dad’s from New Orleans.
"No knock on Taylor Kitsch, though, ’cause I actually like his Gambit."

The Oscar nominated pair, which wed in 1997, will receive the 2,463rd and 2,464th stars on Hollywood Boulevard during a rare double unveiling next Wednesday (07Mar12).
The only other couple to go down in history with stars on the same day is film producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Richard Donner in 2008.
Macy and Huffman's stars will be placed side-by-side at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard.

At today’s media day for the Blu-ray release of X Men: First Class (out this Friday!), I spoke with Lauren Shuler Donner, producer of all five blockbuster X-Men films, about the future of Marvel’s mutant ensemble.
Pre-production on X-Men Origins: Deadpool is moving forward, with director Tim Miller busy conceptualizing the film’s aesthetic. “In the next couple of months we’ll be presenting some things to the studio,” said Shuler Donner. “Deadpool is going to be way different from any of the other X-Men movies. It’s very crazy, more R-rated. I think in order to keep the franchise alive, each movie has to be distinct and different and not like the other ones. This one will, visually, be totally different than any of the other movies.”
The state of The Wolverine, the sequel to 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, remains very much in flux, as Deadline previously reported, with neither an exact start date nor locations pinned down. “The date has been moved back and we’re figuring out where to shoot it,” she said. “There’s an issue with Japan and we’re juggling with Hugh [Jackman]’s schedule because Hugh’s gonna do Les Miserables. Now we’re figuring out where we’re gonna shoot it and when.”
And what about the franchise’s main players? In addition to kick-starting the First Class saga, Shuler Donner had for a while seemed intent on revisiting the original X-Men series, left dormant after 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. She had even recruited Bryan Singer, helmer of the first two X-Men films, to direct X-Men 4 and 5. But while a follow-up to First Class seems all but assured given the film’s solid box-office numbers (over $350 million worldwide) and critical acclaim (87% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes), don’t hold out hope for a reunion of Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart and the rest of the mutant originals anytime soon. “There could be an X4, but I think for now we don’t want to saturate the market,” she said. “I think there was such a good response to First Class that if we go forward in that universe, we’ll probably make a sequel [to First Class].”
On an unrelated note, Shuler Donner's adaptation of D.C. Comics’ Metal Men, first announced back in April of 2007, has been relegated to the scrap heap. “That died a long time ago,” she said. “That was a tough one; it was tough to get it to work.”

According to Empire Magazine (and credit to the folks over at Obsessed With Film for finding it), there is potential for not only an X-Men 4, but an X-Men 5. Franchise producer Lauren Shuler-Donner said the following:
"We took the treatment to Fox and they love it… And X4 leads into X5."
So, for the sake of discussion let's take that as truth. Now, who will helm it? Screen Rant seems to believe it will undoubtedly be Bryan Singer, which isn't too bad of an assumption. Two years ago, Singer was quoted saying that he was "eternally intertwined with X-Men" after kicking off the last decade of superhero cinema with X-Men in 2000 and X2 in 2003. In fact, if it hadn't been for some pretty lame scheduling conflicts regarding Warner Bros. Jack the Giant Killer, he would not have dropped out of X-Men: First Class and the anticipated prequel would be his next directorial effort (he remains a producer of the project, though).
If it does move forward, X4 (and X5, I guess) will have a hefty price tag, specifically for the talent alone, including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, just to name a few (and all despite that fact that two of the characters played those two of those six names perished in the best-forgotten X-Men: The Last Stand). The sources claim that the big-budget undertaking could entice Fox to film the next two chapters in the mutant saga back-to-back, much like Disney's first two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels.
But hey, this is a good thing, right? I mean, it's not like right now there aren't already two X-Men movies in production (The Wolverine and First Class) on top of the countless other superhero films releasing over the next couple years. Honestly, it might be safe to assume that this all just one big masterminded plan of Hugh Jackman's. Maybe he finally came to the realization that Wolverine is pretty much the only thing of note he'll do for the rest of his career, so, you know, he's just going to stretch that out for as long as possible.
Source: Empire, Obsessed With Film, Screen Rant

Everyone, get your grains of salt ready. We’ve been hearing whispers from Comic-Con that Warner Bros will to announce an unexpected project during their panel on Saturday: a project of an Amazonian nature. Yes, the latest rumor is that Warner Bros is (again) moving forward with a Wonder Woman film, and they’ve attached Batman Begins screenwriter David S. Goyer. While it’s possible that this is just a result of lines getting crossed at the giant game of telephone that is Comic-Con, there could be some truth to this rumor.
Warner Bros has had a lot of trouble with Wonder Woman in the past. While she may be one of DC’s “big three” superheroes, she’s been treated like a red-headed stepchild when it comes to film. The long-belabored Joss Whedon production has had actresses attached from Jennifer Love-Hewitt to Sandra Bullock, but was seemed to be as dead as a fly on the invisible jet’s windshield by the time Whedon jumped universes to direct Marvel’s Avengers film. The news doesn’t come completely out of nowhere, however, as Warner Bros producer Laura Shuler Donner recently spoke about her desire to revive the franchise, with a “more contemporary” but still “mythological” take on the Wonder Woman ethos.
On the other hand, this isn’t the only project that Goyer’s been rumored to be a part of. Goyer is also supposedly on the shortlist of directors being considered for a role in Jonathan Nolan’s (Christopher Nolan’s brother) Superman reboot, Superman: Man Of Steel. It’s possible that this is a combination of rumors- WB might be announcing that Goyer is directing Man Of Steel, and also that they are starting work again on Wonder Woman, but I doubt that Goyer would be considered for both. We’ll keep you posted if this rumor becomes less rumor-y.
Source: The Playlist

Lauren Shuler Donner, first lady of comic book movies, shared some superhero secrets with Collider at the Saturn Awards. The producer of Constantine and the X-Men series revealed that she’s been campaigning Warner Bros. and DC for a Wonder Woman film, even though they “don’t want” the franchise. Shuler Donner said that she was drawn to Wonder Woman as a character because she’s both “a goddess and a superhero.” She also explained her vision for the film, which would “need to stay close to the myth, but...make it accessible, i.e. somewhat contemporary.”
The hit producer also talked about the upcoming Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool film, due out in 2011. She confirmed that Reynolds has been working with the writers on the script, and is very committed to the role, despite his role in competing superhero franchise Green Lantern.
Shuler Donner is also reuniting with original director Bryan Singer for the next installment of the X-Men franchise, X-Men: First Class. While she didn’t reveal anything new on the casting news that’s been making the rounds, she did mention that the production begins filming in August, in London, with a “very strong” script.
For more from the Donners, including news on the Goonies and Dave musicals, check out the interview below.
Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner Talk GOONIES and DAVE Going to Broadway; DEADPOOL, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, and Laura Wants t from ColliderVideos on Vimeo.

Source: The LA Times
After abandoning the mutant franchise he helped build, Bryan Singer's Superman Returns performed poorly at the box office and all thought that his tenure as King of the Comic Book movies was over. He was lucky enough to be brought back into the fold by 20th Century Fox and producer Lauren Shuler Donner, who have hired him to direct the prequel X-Men: First Class and now, the Los Angeles Times has sat down with the duo to discuss their plans to further the franchise.
On why he thinks the X-Men movies are suited for him, Singer said:
"I genuinely like the people, and my personality meshes more with this universe than it does with other universes, I think; I see that now at this point... I feel a connection to the X-Men characters and also the ensemble nature of the films. If you look at 'Usual Suspects'' or my last film, 'Valkyrie,' I feel especially comfortable with ensemble juggling. In the space between all the characters you can disguise a central thought that's hidden in all the discourse. I missed that with the singular relationship story of Superman. And, well, it always gives you something to cut to..."
According to the article, Singer says X-Men: First Class will find its axis in the relationship between Professor X and Magneto and the point where their friendship soured. It will also detail the beginning of the school for mutants and have younger incarnations of characters with new actors (He shrugged when asked if Hugh Jackman might appear as Wolverine).
"Just doing younger mutants is not enough. The story needs to be more than that. I love the relationship between Magneto and Xavier, these two men who have diametrically opposite points of view but still manage to be friends -- to a point. They are the ultimate frenemies."
Shuler Donner also has pitched Singer on doing a fourth installment of the previously established "X-Men" franchise and Jackman had lunch with Singer to coax him into a project as well, which may or may not be Wolverine 2. Jackman has said the sequel will be set in Japan and released in 2011.
In the interview, Singer turned to Shuler Donner and said of X-Men 4: "Hold that one off for just a little, I'm fixated on the other one right now." She nodded and answered, "I will, I will ... I'm holding it open with high hopes. It's totally different [from 'First Class'] and it will be so interesting for you."

Served as associate producer for first feature film, "Thank God It's Friday" for Motown Productions

Acted in a small role as a nurse in Donner's "Lethal Weapon 3"

Summary

A leading Hollywood producer specializing in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainments, Shuler-Donner entered the industry as one of the first women members of the Hollywood Electronic Camera Union (Local IA 659). She worked as a camera operator on a number of TV projects before graduating to associate producer of "ABC's Wide World of Entertainment" (beginning 1973), a catch-all concept for various late-night formats that attempted to compete with Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show". Shuler-Donner next moved to Motown Productions, where she rose through the ranks to make her TV producing debut with the acclaimed "Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill" (1979), a TV-movie written and directed by Joel Schumacher in the style of Robert Altman's "Nashville".

Name

Role

Comments

Richard Donner

Husband

born in 1939; first worked together on "Ladyhawke" (1985)

Education

Name

Shaker Heights High School

School of Public Communications, Boston University

School of Public Communications, Boston University

Notes

Undeterred by discouraging advice and disparaging remarks, Shuler-Donner set out to become a filmmaker. "It never occurred to me people were gonna say, "You're out of your mind.'" Shuler-Donner recalls of her early days in the business in the mid-'70s, when people told her she should be a secretary. "One guy at a production company even said, "Honey, get yourself a see-through blouse or learn shorthand,'" she marvels. --"Lauren Shuler-Donner" by Connie Benesch, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (1993 Women in Entertainment Issue), December 7, 1993.

Donner was one of the first female members of the Hollywood Electronic Camera Union (IATSE Local 659).

"I'm a real sucker for story. I also look for characters I can either love or hate. Something has to draw out an emotion from me. It has to capture my imagination and make me laugh, or make me gasp in horror, or make me cry--maybe all of those things."--Lauren Shuler-Donner (press notes for "Pretty in Pink")

She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston University (1987)

Shuler-Donner initiated into the Shaker Heights High School Hall of Fame (1988)